Strength: Will or Heart?
by jylener22
Summary: An unnamed warrior. A tender-hearted Master. Together, they must find a way to work as a team to fulfill their quest...to win the Holy Grail War. Others seek to do the same, but with both of them harboring opposing views on how to deal with their enemies, will they be able to succeed? Based loosely on the Fate/Stay Night or Fate/Zero series. Commission story for sailorn1 on dA.
1. Summoning

"Well, we've done as much as we possibly can. Now it's up to you. Are you ready?"

"I think so…Are you sure-"

"Orihime, you can't start second-guessing yourself now. All your life, we've been training and preparing you for this moment. If you can't summon the will and courage to do this, there is no one else who can do it for you. You know what that means don't you."

"…Yes, I understand."

"Then let's get started. Tessai, the relics, if you please."

"Here."

"Thank you. Just place this here and…we are ready for the summoning. Orihime, if you will…"

"…I hereby propose, thou shalt come under my command and thy sword shall control my fate. Abiding by the summons of the Holy Grail, if thou dost accede to this will and reason, answer me. I hereby swear, I am all that is good in the eternal world. I am the disposer of evil in the eternal world. Thou, clad with the Great Trinity, come forth from the circle of constraint…Guardian of the Heavens!"

Nothing happened for about fifteen seconds. Just when the gathering was about to give up, there was a resounding crash from the adjoining room. Flinching at the sound, everyone turned to rush into the other room with Orihime at the forefront. When she opened the door and scanned the room hastily, her eyes quickly found those of a young man standing about in the center of the room.

He wore long black robes that covered him entirely from the neck down. They were even long enough to drag along the floor behind him so that his feet were hidden from sight. Wrapped around his wrist and reaching his elbows was a kind of silver interlocking pattern that was also used to decorate the edges of the pitch black cloth.

Orihime only took in the appearance of the young man's clothes in her peripheral vision as she was mostly occupied with looking at his face. Even more specifically, his eyes.

His hair was long for a guy, but not long enough to really pull back in a ponytail. The bright orange locks were shaggy in a wind-swept way, yet did not give off the idea that it was unkempt or dirty. His dark brown eyes met Orihime's and they were fierce. If she had never met a natural born warrior before then, she certainly knew that one stood before her now.

When he spoke, Orihime jumped in surprise even though his voice was low and even.

"I ask you, are you my master?"

Too stunned to do anything at first, Orihime just stood there with her mouth slightly agape until someone nudged her gently in the back. Taking two steps forward, Orihime clutched at her clothes, wrung her hands and flicked her eyes nervously between the floor and his eyes while trying to keep the blood from rushing too quickly in her body. Either it was going to go rushing to make her face blush, or pool down in her feet so that she would pass out…both situations were equally undesirable.

Finally finding her voice, Orihime said hesitantly while simultaneously allowing her hair to fall in front of her face and pushing it out of the way, "Umm…yes…yes, I am…"

He didn't respond at first, but scanned her from head to toe. Not in a 'let-me-check-this-woman-out' sort of way, but more as if he were assessing whether or not she was a worthy master for him. In that respect, Orihime almost wished that it was the former.

Seeming to come to a conclusion in his own mind, he asked curtly but not unkindly, "Your name?"

"Ori-" she cleared her throat to keep her voice from cracking, "My name is Orihime Inoue."

Taking another few moments to let that information sink in, eventually, he inclined his head and said rather formally, "And you may call me Saber, Ms. Inoue."

"No."

Looking at her with a scowl, Saber repeated slowly, "No?"

Waving her hands desperately in front of her, Orihime said hastily, "I only meant that you don't have to call me 'Ms. Inoue'. Just use my first name…if that's all right."

It seemed for a time that Saber was going to argue, but eventually he shook his head and said, "Very well then. Orihime it is."

When he said her name, Orihime mentally scolded her heart for skipping a beat as she went on, "We have a room prepared for you to use if you care to get some rest."

"I see," said Saber thoughtfully before he added, "I trust that my room is adjacent to yours in some way."

"I…well…why…" said Orihime helplessly while part of her mind was wondering why in the world he would ask such a thing, another part trying to remind herself to act natural while the rest really wouldn't mind if he was nearby in the middle of the night.

Letting out a long-suffering sigh, Saber answered coolly, "To protect you, of course. This isn't the first Holy Grail War that I've participated in…" suddenly struck with a thought, Saber asked, "You do know what you've gotten yourself into, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" stammered Orihime desperately, "Mr. Urahara and Tessai and Yoruichi and everyone else has been helping me to train to be a master ever since I was twelve!"

Quirking an eyebrow at her, Saber said flatly, "If I'm not mistaken, most people start training potential Holy Grail candidates from the time they can speak and can learn incantations."

"Well I…that is to say…I just…" said Orihime helplessly before she finally got frustrated and declared, "I didn't start training until I was twelve because I lived with my brother, but then he died and Mr. Urahara took me in and discovered that I had the potential to participate in the Holy Grail War, so yes, I had a lot of catching up to do, but I'm grateful everyone was so patient with me and were so willing to help me, so I want to do this for them! They gave me strength when I needed it, so now I want to do the same for them."

Saber's eyebrows had raised so that they were hidden by his long bangs, until Orihime came to her final statement. With those words, Saber's original warrior expression returned. While Orihime couldn't tell, she thought that something she had said had made some sort of impact on Saber…why it had though, Orihime was curious about.

Taking a few steps forward so that Orihime had to tilt her head back to look him in the eye, Saber said solemnly, "You will need my strength and support to reach your goal. Yet I cannot exist in this world without taking strength from you."

Drawing his sword and placing the point in the floor, Saber went on, "From this day on until you have won the Holy Grail War or I die in service to you, I swear on my sword that I will serve you faithfully and will protect you at all costs. My word as a warrior is binding."

Returning Saber's gaze steadily, Orihime said instinctually, "I accept your pledge gratefully, Saber. I promise to do my best to be a master you will be proud to serve."

As Orihime finished and continued looking into Saber's eyes, she couldn't help but wonder. Who was he, really? How had he acquired that look of absolute confidence in his own skill as a warrior? What had he been through in his lifetime? She wanted to know more about him, not so that she could utilize him as a servant, but so that she could get to know him.

Kisuke and Tessai exchanged a look as they observed Orihime's growing fascination with her servant. For the time being, they would simply let things progress and observe. However, they were prepared to intervene should the need arise. It would not be the first time that a master in the Holy Grail War had become romantically attached to their servant…however, those attachments never ended well.

**Authors' Note:**

*long sigh* I couldn't do it. I intended to just do this story in the last chapter of Ichihime Week, but I just couldn't do it. It's at least going to be 3-4 more chapters on top of this one...and I could just kick myself because now I've added another story to my workload. And there's still about two or three more that I'm longing to get to but won't until I pare down my 'incompleted stories' list.

Anyway, like it says in the description, this is very, very, very, very loosely based on the Fate/Stay Night or Fate/Zero series. If you're not familiar with either one, I will do my best to give more in-depth information inside the chapters, but since it's also a series that I'm not extremely familiar with, to be on the safe side, just ask me specific questions on things you're confused on and I'll do my best to point you in the right direction.

Also, for this first chapter, I just copied and pasted what I had already written for the 'Strength' chapter in Ichihime Week 2, so while I always appreciate reviews, if you've already written something to me over there, please don't feel obligated to do so again. I completely understand.

My hope is to finish off the last of Ichihime Week 2 today and hopefully write a little more for this, then spend the next day or so getting Hearts of Glass finished off as well. So much to do...and Orihime's birthday is coming up...oh dear.

Just an fyi, while I may come off as extremely self-deprecating at times, I really do enjoy writing these kind of stories. If I didn't, then I wouldn't do it. Isn't that the way it is with anything? :)


	2. Training

Orihime could only remember a handful of times when she had ever had trouble sleeping. Now she could add one more time to her list.

Part of her brain was keeping her awake thinking about how in the next room a handsome swordsman was resting and yet on the alert should some other Master and Servant pair try to attack in the night. She was also eyeing a door that she could open and walk straight into the adjoining room where Saber rested…and she knew that the door was unlocked.

Actually, at any time and for any reason, Saber might just open the door and walk into her room. Then he would see her in bed…in her nightclothes…she thumped herself on the forehead for even starting to think along those lines. If Saber did come into her room, likely it would either be for her protection if they were attacked or…no, there was no other possibility. She had summoned Saber and now they were a team and their goal was to acquire the Holy Grail. That's why he was here and she had to remind herself of this fact.

On the other hand, those initial impressions and feelings she had gotten when she had first beheld Saber made her more than slightly curious about him. Sometimes in the Holy Grail War the identities of different Servants had been discovered. Staring up at her ceiling, Orihime started listing off historical figures who might fit with Saber's personality.

Hannibal? Maybe, but his dress and coloring didn't strike her as particularly Roman. Well, technically Carthaginian, but Roman was close enough. He was also better known as a conqueror and not a swordsman. Charlemagne, perhaps? He was a swordsman and great leader…but he also used two swords. Maybe William Marshal…or maybe not.

Turning over on her side, Orihime let out a long sigh. This was getting her nowhere and she realized that she shouldn't try so hard to figure out Saber's identity. When a Servant's identity was discovered, other competitors would be able to use that information to their advantage as they could then research about the Servant's past life and discover ways of defeating them. She'd rather live the rest of her life wondering who Saber actually was then regret not leaving well enough alone.

Closing her eyes, Orihime willed herself to fall asleep. Morning was fast approaching and with it came the start of her new training regimen. That was something she really wouldn't mind spending the rest of her life not knowing.

* * *

The next morning began much as Orihime had expected it to. Get up before the crack of dawn? Check. Barely getting enough time to eat breakfast politely so having to resort to atrocious table manners? Check. Spend the entire meal trying not to look over at a certain swordsman? Check. Somehow manage to let on that she doesn't have much in the way of magical skills outside of summoning Saber? Check.

"What can you do, then?" asked Saber in an even tone, "Do you have any offensive or defensive skills at all?"

"She's pretty lethal in the kitchen!" Jinta yelled from the side of the training grounds before Yoruichi roughly cuffed the back of his head, to which he yelped, "Ow! But it's true!"

"What does he mean by that?" inquired Saber.

"I…um…well, it's hard to explain…" said Orihime as he fought valiantly to keep her blood and tears in check.

Tessai had pity on her and said by way of explanation, "Orihime is a girl of great imagination and invention when it comes to cooking or baking. She is so talented that she knows by sight and smell when something is perfectly cooked. She's never let meat go dry or undercooked bread or anything like that."

Quirking an eyebrow at the man, Saber said, "And that's really something she needs in a fight. The ability to roast a perfect mutton chop."

Looking completely crestfallen for a moment, Tessai brightened up a moment later as he declared, "But those skills also make her an excellent healer! She can cure illnesses and set broken bones and everything else besides."

"That is slightly more helpful," admitted Saber, "but that's only something she can do after the fact. I can only do so much to protect her."

Seeming to think of something else, Saber looked at Orihime and said flatly, "You do know how to control your magical energy, right?"

Finally summoning up the courage to look Saber in the eye, Orihime said confidently, "Of course," and then she went on with false bravado, "and I'm also willing to work hard to improve on my offensive and difference skills."

While Orihime couldn't be sure, she thought for just a second that the corners of Saber's mouth softened ever so slightly and his brown, serious eyes sparked with an emotion like amusement. It took her breath away momentarily and just when she was about to say something else, Saber's usual expression was firmly back in place. Whatever she had done just then, she wanted to find a way to do it again so that she could see what his smile looked like.

"All right then," said Saber, "Let's get started."

And so began a morning of arduous training. Orihime refused to allow any words other than 'Yes Sir' or 'Please let me do it again' or 'Please show me how to do it again' to pass her lips, but there were times when she wanted to simply say 'I am tired, sore, hungry, thirsty and I'm just not getting it, so I want to quit right now'. However, the moment the thought entered her head, she immediately pushed it away because she thought about Saber himself.

While Orihime could sense that there were times when Saber became increasingly frustrated with her painfully slow progress, he nevertheless told her in an even tone to try it again. From what Orihime could guess, Saber's skills with the sword not only came from constant practice, but also from some sort of innate ability to pick up on things quickly. As he worked with her, she sensed that he was keeping himself in check as he reminded himself that she was not like him in the respect.

At one point, Saber asked Orihime to practice a certain offensive move on him. They were using wooden weapons and he wanted her to duck under his arm and hit him in what would be a vital spot.

"But won't that hurt you?" asked Orihime in a shocked tone.

"Not really," replied Saber, "but if we were using real weapons, it would be a fatal or incapacitating blow. I just told you that."

"But what if I do it wrong and seriously hurt you?"

He searched her face for a while as if trying to determine whether she was serious or not and then said, "Just come at me and put all your strength into the blow."

Looking down at the weapon in her hands, Orihime forced herself to grip the weapon and rush forward. As Saber had taught her, she watched his feet and went with him as he attempted a feint. Moving to the left, Orihime ducked his swing and lunged forward with her knife pointing at Saber's ribcage…and then she made her mistake. She looked up.

Orihime's eyes connected with Saber's and she thought about what she was about to do. She was about to hurt him. Those deep brown eyes were about to darken in pain because of the blow she was about to jab into his ribcage. And if she had a real weapon she might…she might…

Dropping the blade, Orihime slipped under Saber's outstretched arm. As she used her momentum to turn around and face Saber, she suddenly felt an immense force slam into her spine and send her painfully crashing to earth. When she finally regained her breath and was able to turn to look over her shoulder, she saw Saber looking down at her with a fierce scowl.

"Do you have any idea what you've just done?" snapped Saber as his patience finally reached its limit, "You've thrown away a golden opportunity to take your enemy down and instead allowed them to completely annihilate you! What were you thinking?!"

"I couldn't do it," said Orihime softly, "I couldn't hurt you."

"What are you talking about?!" said Saber in an exasperated tone, "I just told you we're using wooden weapons. There's no way you could have seriously wounded me. The worst I would have gotten was a small bruise."

"Exactly."

"What do you mean 'exactly'? You mean you'd rather get killed rather than protecting yourself?"

Pushing herself painfully to her feet, Orihime fought back tears of shame, pain and frustration as she answered, "Like Tessai told you before, my skills lie in the healing arts. Why would I want to inflict pain when my greatest desire is to take it away whenever I see it?"

Rubbing his eyes, Saber said, "In a perfect world, there wouldn't need to be fighting or strife. We could all live happily in the clouds and eat sweets all the time without having to worry about cavities."

Locking gazes with Orihime, Saber went on, "Unfortunately, that's not the kind of world this is. There is darkness and evil and both are ruthless, especially within this Holy Grail War."

"I know that," said Orihime evenly, "I've seen for myself some of the cruel things that can happen to good people."

"If you know that," asked Saber, "then why did you summon me in the first place? How do you expect to win the Holy Grail if you won't fight?"

"I will protect those I care about," said Orihime in a low tone, "no matter the cost."

"I understand that," replied Saber, "but how do you expect to do that? You need to fight to protect those you care about and the other Masters and Servants in this war aren't going to have the same principals as you. When they fight, they fight to kill."

"Just because you have the ability to kill someone," answered Orihime, "doesn't mean you have the authority to decide who lives and who dies."

"Hey!" called Yoruichi from the house, "Anyone hungry? Jinta, Ururu and I made some lunch!"

Stepping in between the Master and Servant pair who were still looking at each other, Kisuke said breezily, "That sounds like a grand idea! Nothing like a good lunch after a hard morning's training."

As the pair made their way silently towards the house, Kisuke and Tessai exchanged worried looks. This time, they were concerned that Orihime and her Servant would find themselves at odds with one another. It went without saying that such a situation was highly undesirable as it might be the wedge to drive them apart and get them both killed.

**Author's Note:**

Don't want to say much at this point other than I hoped you liked it!


End file.
